Australia’s Live Trade Is Dying

(ANIMAL WELFARE) AUSTRALIA — After receiving pressure from animal activists regarding the live animal trade, the Australian Government has implemented the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) to ensure exporters meet animal welfare standards and only trade to approved facilities. Since the legislation, the country’s live export has fortunately decreased. But regardless of these new regulations, animals still must endure an extended overseas journey and many trading companies meet the bare minimum standards, which still allow inhumane practices such as fully conscious slaughter. The only way to fully protect these animals is to shut down the live trade once and for all. Pressure from animal loving Australians has caused an improvement in animal welfare and if we can create international involvement, we may succeed in the cease of live trade entirely. Read on to learn how you can help ban the trade. — Global Animal

Live animal trade is still a problem in Australia. Photocredit: Animals Australia

Animals Australia

In the year since Animals Australia’s investigation in Indonesia aired on Four Corners, new regulations have meant live exports have become more expensive, more difficult AND that fewer animals are being sent.

BUT in a month littered with tragic incidents, what has become clear is that while these regulations make it harder to export, they do not ensure the safety of animals who leave our shores.

Your efforts have had an impact!

Following Four Corners, pressure from Animals Australia supporters and compassionate Australians led the Australian Government to introduce the new Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS). September 1st was the deadline for 99 percent of Australia’s live export markets to comply with these new government regulations.

With the implementation of ESCAS, exporters have been forced to prove they can meet bare minimum welfare standards and ensure that animals will only be sent to approved facilities.

As a result, the number of animals exported from Australia has dropped; export to some markets has ceased; and export to other markets has been suspended, while exporters are forced to spend money upgrading facilities.

Failing to protect animals.

The new regulations are supposed to protect Australian animals from cruelty, but it has become clear that exported animals are still not safe:

No safety on ships:

No amount of regulations can address the most basic problem with live export: every animal who leaves our shores must endure the stress of an arduous journey by sea to reach their destination.

Just last week, tens of thousands of Australian sheep were caught up in two separate near disasters at sea, when Kuwait and Bahrain disregarded agreements with Australia and would not let the animals unload.

No safety at sale:

Currently, the Government’s regulations do not require sheep and goats to be individually tracked. This heightens the serious risk of animals being sold into unapproved markets.

Just last week, Animals Australia publicly released evidence of Australian sheep being sold in a notoriously cruel Kuwaiti market, outside of approved supply chains. As a result of this serious breach, animals suffered horrendous cruelty.

No safety at slaughter:

The welfare standards required under the new regulations, are a bare minimum standard, which still allows many cruel practices that would be illegal in Australia, including fully conscious slaughter.

Earlier this year, it was left to Animals Australia to uncover shocking footage revealing that the slaughter of some Australian cattle in Indonesia was not even meeting these bare minimum animal welfare standards.

Keep up the pressure!

With the help of caring people like you, we have come this far. The live export trade has been brought to the brink. Now the animals need your help to keep up the pressure.

The only way to guarantee the safety of Australian animals from live export cruelty is to ban live export once and for all.